BY ALEX WEPRIN | HollywoodReporter.Com
Troy Warren for CNT #Business
A source says that WarnerMedia also recently renewed TV carriage deal with Altice.
WarnerMedia and Comcast have come to terms on a new carriage deal, keeping WarnerMedia’s channels on Comcast cable systems for years to come. The deal covers TBS, TNT, CNN, Cartoon Network, TruTV, TCM and the other WarnerMedia channels, but it also includes CNN+, the upcoming streaming service.
Comcast “plans to make CNN+ available to its Xfinity customers via its Xfinity X1, Xfinity Flex, and XClass TV platforms later in 2022,” the companies said Monday. The app will be available as an add-on to Xfinity customers.
Separately, a WarnerMedia source said that the company also recently renewed its carriage deal with Altice, though that agreement does not cover CNN+.
While WarnerMedia’s focus is on streaming, and specifically HBO Max and CNN+, the linear TV channels still generate billions of dollars each year, with the company in turn using that cash to invest in streaming. The deal with Comcast, which is the largest cable provider in the U.S., and Altice, should keep that cash flowing for years to come, while increasing the access for CNN+.
“We’re so pleased to continue our longstanding relationship with Comcast and deliver best-in-class storytelling, essential news and premium sports to millions of customers,” said Scott Miller, executive vp of business and legal affairs for WarnerMedia, in a statement. “It’s an exciting time in our industry as we continue putting consumers at the center of where and how they are informed and entertained. Comcast’s position as both a Pay TV provider and app platform complements our foundational business of linear TV and emerging streaming businesses.”
